South of Heaven
| South of Heaven | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Slayer | ||||
| Released | July 5, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | December 1987–February 1988 | |||
| Studio | Hit City West, Los Angeles, California Chung King, New York, New York |
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| Genre | Thrash metal | |||
| Length | 36:54 | |||
| Label | Def Jam | |||
| Producer | Slayer, Rick Rubin | |||
| Slayer chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | B– |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | (8/10) |
| Metal Forces | (8/10) |
| Rock Hard | (8.5/10) |
South of Heaven is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer. Released on July 5, 1988, the album was the band's second collaboration with record producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on Slayer's previous album Reign in Blood had helped the band's sound evolve.
South of Heaven was Slayer's second album to enter the Billboard 200, and its last to be released by Def Jam Recordings, although the album became an American Recordings album after Rick Rubin ended his partnership with Russell Simmons. It was one of only two Def Jam titles to be distributed by Geffen Records through Warner Bros. Records because of original distributor Columbia Records' refusal to release work by the band. The release peaked at number 57 and in 1992 was awarded a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.
In order to offset the pace of the group's previous album, Slayer deliberately slowed down the album's tempo. In contrast to their previous albums, the band utilized undistorted guitars and toned-down vocals. While some critics praised this musical change, others—more accustomed to the style of earlier releases—were disappointed. The songs "Mandatory Suicide" and the title track, however, have become permanent features of the band's live setlist.
South of Heaven was recorded in Los Angeles, California with Reign in Blood producer Rick Rubin. PopMatters reviewer Adrien Begrand observed that Rubin's production "shoves [Dave] Lombardo's drumming right up front in the mix." Guitarist Jeff Hanneman has since said that South of Heaven was the only album the band members discussed before writing the music. Aware that they "couldn't top Reign in Blood", and that whatever they recorded would be "compared to that album", he believed they "had to slow down", something Slayer had never done on albums before, or since. Guitarist Kerry King cited the need to "keep people guessing" as another reason for the musical shift. "In order to contrast the aggressive assault put forth on Reign in Blood, Slayer consciously slowed down the tempo of the album as a whole", according to Slayer's official biography. "They also added elements like undistorted guitars and toned-down vocal styles not heard on previous albums."
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